06 April 2006

6th April 2006

12:00 AM — Picturesque areas of Stockport are being turned into destinations for "dogging" and sexual activity for the gay community, according to local residents.The Tame Valley Defence Group claims that the Reddish Vale Country Park has become a hotspot for sexual liaisons and voyeurism.

12:00 AM — A lesbian has been given custody of her former partner's children after a landmark court ruling decided she could be considered their "natural parent."The woman, who cannot be named for the children's protection, had been granted shared contact of her ex girlfriend's seven and four year old daughters, until the mother broke the order by moving away.

12:00 AM — Worldwide retailer Walmart, has decided to sell the DVD of gay cowboy movie, Brokeback Mountain, despite protests from a Christian Group.Anti gay group, The American Family Association, wanted to see the award winning film banned from outlets of the world's largest store claiming it would harm their family friendly image.

12:00 AM — Hit ITV soap Coronation Street is rumoured to be following EastEnders with its own lesbian related storyline.Factory worker Kelly Crabtree, played by Tupele Dorgu, is set to be the victim of lesbian rumours when she moves in with a long lost friend.

12:00 AM — A gay man who has been given a month to live, had a civil partnership ceremony with his boyfriend in hospital today.Peter Howard, 57, was diagnosed with skin cancer five years ago and doctors warned the condition had got extremely serious, prompting him to arrange his civil union to partner, Chris Wells, 32, at short notice.

12:00 AM — A jealous boyfriend accused of strangling his girlfriend in a rage over her lesbian past held similar convictions previously, a court has been told.Steven Wallace, 40, denies the attempted murder of Wendy Brown, 30, but yesterday saw previous convictions of grievous bodily harm read to the jury.

12:00 AM — Schools in California may be legally obliged to teach about the contributions of gay and transgender people, after a bill was passed by the state Senate this week.It would include sexual orientation on a list of requirements, including gender and race, which schools cannot ignore or discriminate against and must recognise positively in textbooks.

12:00 AM — Naomi Campbell needs a kick up the backside, according to lesbian comedian Rosie O'Donnell.O'Donnell challenged the supermodel to a duel after discovering she allegedly assaulted her assistant with a mobile phone in New York last month.She said: "To make matters worse she had that jewel-encrusted cell phone, that's got to score with the diamonds."

12:00 AM — A group of sexual health superheroes have donned their capes to fight hepatitis in the gay community, in reaction to figures which show half of London's gay men are not vaccinated against the disease.'The Vaccinators', dressed in their superhero outfits and arriving in their superhero bus, launched the start of the Sorted campaign to encourage gay men to vaccinate against Hepatitis A and B.

12:00 AM — A US lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) legal organisation has announced the results of the largest nationwide survey of the gay community.Lambda Legal conducted a workplace fairness survey of the LGBT community in the first ever attempt to ask how important gay-friendly policies are to where gay people decide to work.

12:00 AM — Lesbian Conservative Party vice chairman Margot James has emerged as a potential applicant for the selection of a Tory London mayoral candidate.The Conservatives are holding an open primary which allows anyone to apply to be nominated to contest the position for the 2008 London mayoral election.

12:00 AM — The gay "Limbs in the Loch Killer" William Beggs has had his application for bail pending a full hearing of his appeal against his conviction thrown out by a Scottish court.Beggs,42, known as the "Limbs in the Loch Killer," was jailed for life in 2001. He drugged, raped and murdered 18 year-old Barry Wallace before dumping his head in the sea and his limbs and torso into Loch Lomond. He escaped to Amsterdam where he eventually surrendered to police.

12:00 AM — Gay rights activists are looking to put the brakes on a car advert which they claim portrays gay people in a derogatory manner.The advertising campaign for the new Chrysler Dodge Caliber features a tough looking man being turned into a pastel clad "fairy" walking dogs on pink leashes with the slogan, Anything but Cute.

12:00 AM — Jamaican students rioted against a gay pupil who had been accused of propositioning a classmate, according to reports.Police attempted to protect and escort the gay man off the University of West Indies campus after he was chased by an angry mob.

12:00 AM — A man who attacked a gay neighbour leaving him with permanent scars and requiring 114 stitches, has been jailed for five years and 137 days.The homophobic assault took place when Thomas Bampton, 47, who was drunk and high on drugs targeted Stuart Windsor in Blackpool.

12:00 AM — A transvestite jumped to his death in the Thames after his family couldn't accept his lifestyle, according to a coroner's report.Nahi Mudwai's body was found at Mill Bank in February after reports of a 'female' running along the Embankment throwing away clothes and jumping into the water.

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